The Merchant of Tennis, Inc. v. Superior Court, 2026 WL 102728 (Cal. Ct. App. 2026)
After Jessica Garcia filed a putative class action for unpaid wages against her former employer (The Merchant of Tennis), the employer entered into approximately 954 individual settlement agreements (ISAs) with employees (paying over $875,000) in exchange for waiving their claims and opting out of the class action litigation. After
Iloff v. LaPaille, 2025 WL 3718335 (Cal. Ct. App. 2025)
Laurence Iloff performed maintenance on various structures that were located on property that was owned by Bridgeville Properties, Inc. (BPI) and managed by Cynthia LaPaille. Under an informal arrangement, Iloff’s employers allowed him to live rent-free in one of the houses on the property but did not provide him with any other benefits or
Villalva v. Bombardier Mass Transit Corp., 108 Cal. App. 5th 211 (2025)
Mark Villalva and Bobby Jason Yelverton are train dispatchers who sued their employer (Bombardier) for allegedly unpaid wages. Rather than filing their claims in court, the employees first sought relief from the California Labor Commissioner, using the so-called “Berman” hearing process pursuant to Cal. Lab. Code § 98, et seq.
In 2005, attorney Jacqueline Fabe filed claim for unpaid wages against her employer with the Labor Commissioner. Her employer then filed a malpractice suit against Fabe, and Fabe in response filed a retaliation suit with the Labor Commissioner. Fabe and the Labor Commissioner later won on all claims. In March 2010, Fabe filed a motion
We invite you to review our newly-posted July 2023 California Employment Law Notes, a comprehensive review of the latest and most significant developments in California employment law. The highlights include:
Agricultural laborers who picked strawberries for several growers sued the growers’ distributors, Better Market Produce and Red Blossom Sales, alleging that the distributors were liable for unpaid wages after the growers went bankrupt. Under Cal. Lab. Code § 2810.3, a company that outsources work to a labor provider may be held liable for
We invite you to review our newly-posted January 2023 California Employment Law Notes, a comprehensive review of the latest and most significant developments in California employment law. The highlights include:
Patel v. Chavez, 85 Cal. App. 5th 712 (2022)
Manuel Chavez was employed as an on-site hotel property manager by DTWO & E, Inc. and Stuart Union, LLC from 2002 to 2016. Chavez alleged he was paid less than the minimum wage and that the employers committed wage theft. In 2017, the Labor Commissioner issued two order, decision or awards (ODA’s) finding in favor
We invite you to review our newly-posted May 2022 California Employment Law Notes, a comprehensive review of the latest and most significant developments in California employment law. The highlights include: